Growing Tomorrow Grant created to help nurture young agriculture entrepreneurs

Earlier this year the USDA released its 2022 agricultural census findings. Census data revealed farms using local and regional markets to sell goods have more than doubled since 2017.

The influx in interest in niche farming and direct-to-consumer production has contributed measurable growth to Ohio agriculture’s bottom line – to the tune of $90 million, over $10 million jump from 2017.

The census findings are corroborated by the member engagement we receive at the Wooster Farm Bureau office. In the last few years, we have heard from countless prospective farmers who are looking for resources on how to get started farming and what factors they should consider when deciding their future operation’s direction.

Sometimes these are folks who are farming, but just looking to change direction or add another family member to the farm so they want to diversify and grow into a new niche. Or sometimes they are members who are farming at more of a “homestead” size and want to sell a value-added product (recent example – elderberry syrup) and have questions about how to legally go about that process.

Guide available to help small-scale businesses

Ohio Farm Bureau recognized the need from members for a comprehensive guide that provides the breakdown of the registration, licensing, processing, food safety, inspection, labeling and any other regulator/legal standards to be considered when running a small-scale food business.

The 68-page guide, which was made available to members at the end of April and is titled the “Small-scale Food Business Guide,” is good to reference when starting a food business to discern what you may need to do, starting at the farm and ending at the market/consumer. Members can access the guide through member accounts online or you can contact the Wooster Farm Bureau office.

We also encourage any producer to contact the local Extension Office for additional resources to supplement the information provided in our guide.

We also receive calls about grants to help beginning farmers. Until recently, there was unfortunately very little we could offer in the way of grant ideas since most grants are awarded to 501c3 nonprofits, which eliminates most of our members from qualifying. However, that has now changed.

The Growing Tomorrow Grant was announced by the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation this spring. It was created to help inspire, encourage and nurture young agricultural professionals and entrepreneurs to find creative and transformative ways to address challenges facing the agricultural sector today, and to generate wider and deeper public understanding of farming and the ways that agriculture impacts our nation and our communities.

Seville couple help get Growing Tomorrow Grant started

The grant-making program is the brainchild of Mike Boyert, an Ohio Farm Bureau northeast regional trustee, and his wife, Patti. Mike and Patti, residents of Seville, remember well the struggles they encountered when they started their farming careers, and the difficulties they faced in starting, growing and sustaining their farming business.

Young professionals and entrepreneurs who are looking to secure startup funds for a new business or seeking funds to enhance the impact of an existing business are encouraged to apply. The Growing Tomorrow Grant program intends to award up to $50,000 between the top three finalists in late 2024. The application window is open until July 31. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the detailed requirements at the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation’s website.

These two announcements highlight just two of the many benefits that are available to Farm Bureau members. In addition to our constant advocacy work, we strive to provide tangible business solutions that our members can utilize. We invite anyone who wants to learn more about the benefits of membership to contact our Wooster office or visit our website at ofbf.org.

Lindsay Tournoux is the organization director at Ohio Farm Bureau.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Farm Bureau has new resources for small and niche growers